Wagon-tongue support



(No Modei.)

J. W. WBTMORE.

WAGON TONGUB SUPPORT.

Patented May 31, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME IV. VETMORE, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,836, dated May 31,1892.

Application filed February 28, 1889. Serial No. 301,590. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JEROME W'. VETMORE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, inthe county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Tongue Supports;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, forming a part of this speciication.

My invention relates to improvements in wagon-tongue supportsconstructed of steel bars extending from a fixed point at the axlebetween the hounds over the tongue-bolt to a supporting-chain passingunder the tongue forward of the bolt.

The objects of my invention are the following: First, in the steel-barsupports there is much dead weight, my purpose being to lessen this deadweight; second, while the support is composed of a single bar, Isecureequal pressu re on both hounds; third, to secure improved means ofadjustment in the class of tonguesupports where the spring-bar passesover the tongue-bolt; fourth, to secure improved means of adjustmentwhen the coil in the spring-bar on or forward of the tongue-bolt ischiefly relied on for the necessary flexibility of the spring. I attainthese objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l represents a vertical View of a form of theimprovement when there are no coils in the spring-bar; Fig. 2, alongitudinal vertical section of the saine; Fig. 3, a vertical view ofthe spring and part of the wagongcars when the bar has intermediatevertical coils and the tongue-bolt passes through them; Fig. 4, avertical longitudinal section of the same, as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, avertical longitudinal section when the coils are forward of thetongue-bolt and the spring extends back under the axle; Fig. 6, avertical cross-section of the forni of which Fig. 5 is the longitudinalsection and as seen looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5;Fig. 7, a vertical crossP-section of the form represented by Fig. 3, asseen looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3.

A B represent the wagon-tongue; C, the hounds; D, the spring; e, theangle in the spring, from which to the chain is a short lever by whichtorsional action is secured in the long section from e back to the axle;f, the chain passing from one end of the spring under the tongue to theother and supporting the tongue; Gr, the axle; H, a bar under the houndsforward of the axle, under which the middle bend of the spring isfastened. This is one of the means of holding down that part of thespring. running-gears of wagons this may be preferable.

1' represents staples to hold the spring to H; J, the wagon-tongue bolt;K and Z, the vertical coils in the spring. This form of the spring willbe preferable, as the coil is a section of the spring and helps hold itin place either In some constructions of the' by resting against thebolt, as in Figs. 5 and 6, or by passing around the bolt, as in Figs. 4and 7. The coil Z, Fig, 5, will pass from the point above the lowerquadrant nearly vertical, so as to form a good bearing against bolt J.The arms of the spring may cross to the opposite side of the tongue, soas to give greater leverage for torsional action in the main Vsection ofthe spring, or they may run more directly forward and depend mostly onthe elasticity given by additional coils.

I claim- The combination, with the hounds, the bolt passing through thehounds, and the tongue pivoted on the said bolt, of the upwardly andforwardly inclined fork and spring having its looped rear end securedunder the hounds and its middle portions resting on the said bolt, and alooped Hexible support passing under the tongue and attached to thefront ends of the springY above the tongue and permitting the tongue tobe raised between the ends of the spring, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignatu re in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME IV. IVETMORE.

Witnesses:

WALTER SCOTT, W. H. CAUGHEY.

